A vinyl lover since the 90s, Manu is the co-founder of the label-studio-collective Irie Ites. Launched in the early 2000s, based in France, south of the city of Le Mans, the label specializes in Jamaican music in all its forms. Irie Ites has produced more than 200 riddims, a hundred 7-inch records, and his buzz extends beyond our borders. Recently, “Three The Hard Way” with Queen Omega, Chezidek & U-Brown demonstrates their status as heavy dubplate producers.

Manu, can I offer you a drink?

It depends on the time of day! A Bumbu Rum for a night session, or a fine Cognac if it’s available – quality is a must. But when it’s hot, nothing beats a Ricard for the aperitif. Santé! (cheers - editor's note).

Do you remember your first experience as a vinyl selecta?

Yes, absolutely – it was back in 1995 in the city of Angers. I had just started selecting records at a local bar while I was still a student. At the time, I was buying tons of vinyl from shops like Oneness Records in Nantes, Dubwize in Paris, or ordering directly from Ernie B’s in the USA or Dub Vendor in London. Four years later, in December 1999, we created Irie Ites with U-Natty. Every cent we earned went straight into buying 7-inch records. Shortly after, we landed a weekly residency every Wednesday at L’île de Gorée Café Concert in Angers. We’d play brand-new riddims and timeless Jamaican classics. Back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the volume and quality of weekly releases were insane – not like today!

What was your first experience as a music producer?

That happened in November 2001, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We recorded our first tracks with Chezidek and King Lorenzo for Reggae Vibes Magazine as part of a tour we had organized in May 2002. That period marked the beginning of our journey as producers under the Irie Ites Records label. The label’s international recognition came in three major steps: « Zion Riddim », in 2004, is an instrumental version by Mafia & Fluxy, it was a real breakthrough. Step 2 : « Rocking Time Riddim », in 2006, solidified our position. Step 3: « Strange Things Riddim », in 2009, confirmed our global reach. Along the way, we also released riddims like « Borderline », « Down in Jamaica », « Party Time », and 10-inch records such as Tribute to Mikey Dread, Naggo Morris “Su Su Pon Rasta”, and “Kill Dem Sound” by Lutan Fyah & Spectacular.

What triggered the creation of Irie Ites as a label and studio?

It was driven by pure love for Jamaican music and a deep desire to become producers. We wanted to preserve the roots reggae sound and create timeless music by collaborating with both legendary and upcoming artists. Studio sessions quickly became an addiction for us – that creative moment with the artist is just magic. We opened our first studio in 2007 and launched our own fully-equipped studio in 2019, which has provided excellent conditions to work and host artists.

How would you describe Irie Ites’ artistic direction?

Our main influence is, without question, Jamaican music – especially 1970s Roots and 1980s Rub-a-Dub. We’ve studied those sounds extensively. Our mission has always been to carry on the Jamaican musical tradition and create music that remains authentic, without pretending to be anything else.

What comes to mind when you hear Dub Camp?

It’s the biggest sound system festival in the world – and we’re lucky it’s held here in France! We’re proud of the organizers and their journey. That said, if I may offer a small critique: the event is heavily focused on dub music. As advocates of Jamaican music in all its forms, we feel roots and dancehall are underrepresented. Still, it’s a major success and an essential event for the reggae scene – well, mainly the dub scene! We’re proud to be playing there for the third time this year, alongside the one and only Big Red.

Do you have a favorite French proverb?

Yes: "Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid". In English: “Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
It perfectly reflects the way we’ve built Irie Ites – step by step over the years.

Your top 3 Irie Ites releases – and why?

Chezidek – “Bun Di Ganja”: We love this artist and knew we had a hit the day we recorded it at Bobby Digital’s studio (R.I.P.). I still remember Chezi finishing his lyrics in the car while I was calling him in for the session. The video’s intro captures that exact moment.

“Kill Dem Sound” (2008) and “Three The Hard Way” (2024): Both started as dubplates and became full productions due to public demand. Their live performance impact and streaming numbers made them stand out – it’s a perfect example of how Jamaican music is truly judged by audience response.

Since 1999, how many riddims and records have you released?

We’ve produced about 220 to 230 riddims, totaling around 750 tracks. We still have over 150 unreleased songs in the vault ! As of 2025, the discography includes: 30 Cds, 18 LPs, around 15–20 maxi 10” or 12” records. So, approximately one hundred 7-inch singles.

Wow !! So many studio sessions – any anecdotes?

- Funniest: During a dubplate session with Lutan Fyah & Spectacular, one of the headphones broke. Instead of stopping, they passed the working headset back and forth while continuing to sing! You can watch it on YouTube: Lutan Fyah & Spectacular « Doctor Darling Riddim – Special for Irie Ites ». A real lesson in persistence – there’s always a way!

- Saddest: Losing one of our mentors – Trinity aka Jr. Brammer, the godfather of the label and sound.

- Most regrettable: Too many to name! Being a producer and tour organizer is never easy – conflicts and obstacles come with the job.

- Most enriching: Recording Frankie Paul. In just 30 minutes, he dropped a track that remains one of our favorites.

- Most instructive: All the deep conversations we had with veterans like Trinity, U-Brown & Linval Thompson, who shared priceless wisdom and guided the label to where it is today.

- Most productive: During Covid, Glen Washington got stuck in France while starting a tour. He stayed at our place for two and a half months, recording 200 dubplates (including 20 for Irie Ites) and 48 songs, six days a week. An incredible chapter!

Your favorite sound systems?

It’s hard to choose, but these had the most influence on us. In UK: David Rodigan, Saxon. In Japan: Mighty Crown. In Germany: Supersonic, and Sentinel. In Jamaica: Stone Love, Bass Odyssey, Killamanjaro. And in USA: King Addies, Downbeat. In fact the list is non-exhaustive because many sounds inspired us.

7" or 12" records?

Both are essential, but most of our personal collection is 7-inch.

Top 5 new releases?

Honestly, I haven’t followed Jamaican new releases much over the past 10–12 years. The quality has declined dramatically since the mid-2000s and the Don Corleon era. Jamaican music lost its essence trying to cater to the American market. There’s a lack of solid local producers to preserve the island’s roots sound.

Top 5 oldies?

- Barrington Levy « Oh Jah Can’t You See »

- Leroy Brown « Money Barrie » (Skully version)

- Yabby You « Conquering Lion »

- Dennis Brown « General »

- John Holt « Strange Things » (Sunshot Records)

What comes to mind if I say “Zen”?

Keep Calm and Cool – staying grounded is crucial, especially in the music business. And Zenzilé comes to my mind because he is one of the pioneers of the French dub scene, alongside Improvisator Dub and High Tone.

To dress, a pair of…?

Balls. You need serious guts to become a reggae producer – and stay one over the long haul ! We don’t care about dress codes or appearances. Substance matters more than style.

What makes you proud today?

The quality of our dubplate boxes, the catalog we’ve built, and the music we’ve made to preserve the spirit of Jamaican culture. For 26 years, our only goal has been to create good music. Unlike many sounds, we never aimed to be number one – just to stay real. We’re especially proud to have welcomed a new generation into the crew – people like Jeraime and Lucas, engineers and selectas, who will carry the Irie Ites legacy forward. We are also proud to have Trevor Sax on the Irie Ites team. A pioneer of the sound system culture in Europe who started back in 1976 and is one of the best MCs and selectors in Europe. He has taught us and brought us a lot over these 15 years of collaboration

Mountains or Sea?

Both are great, but if I had to choose – the sea.

If you weren’t a producer/label owner, what would you do?

I was actually on track to become a PE teacher but dropped out during my final year because music took over. I also would’ve loved to be a sports journalist, work in video production, or run a café-concert venue or a music club – maybe one day!

What’s next for Irie Ites?

A lot is on the way! We still need to go through the tapes and make space for the next wave of Irie Ites members. The future is in good hands with Jeraime and Lucas, who are already making big moves as engineers and selectas. To keep doing what we love – playing and producing reggae – for as long as the passion and energy are still burning inside us.

Interviewed by el cosh… / photo by Marc Lothy.